Flat filling machine

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for filling flats used in greenhouses with sand, soil or similar material including an oscillating hopper for the sand, a conveyor underlying and receiving sand from the hopper, and a conveying assembly for the flats. The entire structure is supported on a mobile frame so that it can be towed to different places of use.

United States Patent [191 DeBella July 17,1973

1 1 FLAT FILLING MACHINE [76] Inventor: Sylvester J. DeBella, PO. Box 121,

Windsor Locks, Conn. 06096 [22] Filed: July 15, 1971 21 App]. No.2 162,810

US. Cl. l4l/l29, 198/165 B65b 43/52 [58] Field 01' Search l41/129,131, 132, 141/125,168,183, 231; 198/165; 222/161,

[561' References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1971 DiTucci 141/131 X 2,753,099 7/1956 Jenner et a1. 141/131 X 3,186,602 6/1965 Ricciardi 222/161 2,679,313 5/1954 Gueffroy et al...... 198/165 X 2,299,702 10/1942 Mosel 222/1'76 2,062,428 12/1936 Rapp 141/132 X Primary Examiner-Houston S. Bell, Jr. Att0rney.lohn B. Dickman, 111

[57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for filling flats used in greenhouses with sand, soil or similar material including an oscillating hopper for the sand, a conveyor underlying and receiving sand from the hopper, and a conveying assembly for the flats. The entire structure is supported on a mobile frame so that it can be towed to different places of use.

1 Claim, 10 Drawing Figures Patented July 17, 1973 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Syn/55m? 055mm AGENT AGENT Patented July 17, 1973 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 M mm. N A E V L m U L B S mm M Q I PH Hl l h l l lHHflHHHTnfl "M arr I If Ull: u. VN NN 3 W I mm 3 Q 8 W 0 n .ErI z 2- Nm o o 9 Q n 8 Q m n 3 R T 4% 8 Oh I aw NW Rn ww u an u I IIII 3 IIIIIIFITPIIIIII lslilfiqqfi llll l QM, l I I ll l Ml MN III 1 Wm BY M Patented July ,17, 1973 3,746,058

6 Sheets-Sheet .5

INVENTOR.

Syn 5752 175mm Y MB. 9m

AGENT Patented July 17, 1973 4 3,746,058

6 Sheets-Sheet 6 F/GQ 7 5X1 mm 04555114 BY 9%, a. E

' AGENT INVENTOR.

FLAT FILLING MACHINE In greenhouse operations, small wooden boxes or flats are employed to contain sand or similar material in which seeds are germinated. The flats including the sand and plants are then sold to a customer for transplanting or the like. Inasmuch as a relatively large number of flats are used and they are relatively small in size, the filling of the flats is a laborious and time consuming job and materially adds to the cost of operating the greenhouse.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a machine to fill greenhouse flats in an efficient manner thereby reducing the labor and time required for this task.

Another object of this invention is to provide a green house flat filling machine which is portable by virtue of being mounted on a two-wheeled frame provided with anchoring devices to stabilize the machine when in use.

A further object of this invention is to provide a flat filling machine having an oscillating hopper to assure agitation of the material.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a machine in accordance with the preceding objects which includes a conveying system for the flats and sand which keeps the flats together and fills them to a desired level.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a machine which is simple in construction, easy to operate, efficient in filling flats and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof,

wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout,

and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the greenhouse flat filling machine.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation thereof illustrating the side opposite of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the machine.-

FIG. 4 is a front view thereof.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view along section line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along section line 6-6 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken along section line 7-7 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the hopper and frame.

FIG. 9 is a detailed view of the eccentric for oscillating the hopper.

FIG. 10 is detailed view of the device for levelling the soil in the flats as they are conveyed away from the filling conveyor.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the greenhouse flat filling machine of the present invention is generally designated by numeral 12 and includes an upright open frame 14 supported by a pair of wheels 16 journaled on an axle l8 engaged with the frame. A forwardly extending tubular tongue 20 is connected with the axle 18 and frame 14 and telescopically receives an adjustable tongue member 22 therein. The tongue member 22 is adjustably secured in place by a fastener 24 and has an attachment yoke 26 at the forward end thereof.

At each of the corners of the frame 14, there is provided an upright sleeve 28 adjustably receiving a supporting leg 30 which is locked in place by a fastener 32 whereby the machine will be stabilized during use. Supported from the top members 34 of frame 14 is a hopper 36 having inwardly sloping bottom walls 38 terminating in a bottom discharge opening 40. The upper end of the hopper 36 is pivotally supported from the members 34 by stub shafts 42 journaled in bearing blocks 44 thereby enabling the hopper 36 to oscillate about a transverse axis.

The hopper 36 is oscillated by an eccentric 46 journaled on frame 14 and connected to the hopper 36 by a connecting rod 48 connected to a bracket 50 on the sloping bottom 38. A tension spring 52 interconnects the frame 14 and bracket 50 to return the hopper 36 to a normal vertical position. The eccentric 46 is driven from a suitable electric motor 54 through a belt drive 56 and shaft 58 to continuously oscillate the hopper 36 in order to agitate the sand in the hopper to assure discharge thereof through opening 40.

Underlying discharge opening 40 is a belt conveyor 60 encircling rollers 62 and slidingly engaging an upper surface of a wood supporting member 64 to maintain the upper run of the conveyor 60 in parallel relation to the discharge opening 40 to receive a layer of material thereon. The thickness of the layer of material is varied by an adjustable plate 66 mounted slidably on wall 38 to engage the material as it leaves the hopper on the belt conveyor 60. The plate 66 is adjusted by a suitable adjusting mechanism 68 to vary the depth of material on the conveyor. The conveyor 60 is driven by an electric motor 70 through a drive chain 72 to a sprocket 74 rigid with an end roller 64.

Disposed below the belt conveyor 60 and generally parallel therewith is a chain conveyor 76 journaled around end sprockets 78 and idler sprockets 80 engaging the lower run thereof as illustrated in FIG. 5. One of the idler sprockets 80 is driven by a drive chain 82 connecting a drive sprocket rigid with respect to sprocket 74 and a sprocket rigid with respect to the idler 80.

In overlying relation to the discharge portion of the chain conveyor 76, there is provided a levelling plate 84 adjustably supported by a sleeve 86 carried by a bracket 88 on the frame 14 for levelling the sand deposited into the flats as they moved under the discharge end of the belt conveyor 60. Also, the end sprockets 78 are supported by longitudinal support rails 90 which extend beyond the front and rear of frame 14 and support the upper run of the chain conveyor 76 as illustrated in FIG. 6. Additional longitudinal supports 92 p are provided for the rails 90 and belt conveyor 60.

Disposed in overlying relation to the center of the chain conveyor 76 is a feed chain 94 having lower run paralleling the upper run of the chain conveyor 76. The chain 94 is supported by shaft supported sprockets 96 and is driven a higher speed than the conveyor 76 by a drivechain 98 engaging a sprocket rigid with one of the idler sprockets 80 and a sprocket rigid with respect to one of the sprockets 96. This arrangement assures that the green house flats will be fed under the belt conveyor 60 in side by side abutting engagement to reduce the waste of sand to a minimum. The various bearing supports may be provided with lubrication facilities and adjustments provided where necessary for proper operation with a minimum of maintenance.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A machine for filling greenhouse flats comprising a frame, a hopper mounted on said frame for receiving material used .to fill the flats, said hopper including a discharge opening in the bottom of said hopper, a flat filling conveyor means receiving material from the discharge opening, and a flat conveyor means for supporting a plurality of flats and conveying them past a filling area where material is conveyed into the flats by the flat filling conveyor means, said filling conveyor means being 'in the form of a belt conveyor underlying the opening and receiving material therefrom by gravity, a flat feeding means overlying the flat conveying means for retaining the flats against each other when receiving material from the filling belt conveyor, said flat conveyor means including a pair of chains supported on longitudinal rails, and said feeding means includes a chain overlying the conveying chains and being driven at a higher rate of speed than the conveying chains for moving the flats and holding same in close engagement with each other. 1 

1. A machine for filling greenhouse flats comprising a frame, a hopper mounted on said fRame for receiving material used to fill the flats, said hopper including a discharge opening in the bottom of said hopper, a flat filling conveyor means receiving material from the discharge opening, and a flat conveyor means for supporting a plurality of flats and conveying them past a filling area where material is conveyed into the flats by the flat filling conveyor means, said filling conveyor means being in the form of a belt conveyor underlying the opening and receiving material therefrom by gravity, a flat feeding means overlying the flat conveying means for retaining the flats against each other when receiving material from the filling belt conveyor, said flat conveyor means including a pair of chains supported on longitudinal rails, and said feeding means includes a chain overlying the conveying chains and being driven at a higher rate of speed than the conveying chains for moving the flats and holding same in close engagement with each other. 